


The Cursed

by orphan_account



Series: The Occult Saga [1]
Category: South Park
Genre: Elementary School, Gen, Occult, Platonic Relationships, Rituals, Slow To Update, Supernatural Elements, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 11:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13500934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Don't be afraid child, our savior won't hurt you." The voice promised as cloaked figures turn the corners of each end of the hallways; with every flicker of the lights, they floated closer in their ghastly advance. "He's here to save you."





	1. Arguments

**Author's Note:**

> **THE OCCULT SAGA** \- _Book One: Kenny_

          Each step left a footprint in the frost covered sidewalk that lead through the wrong side of the tracks as Kenny McCormick trudged to the bus stop, gloved hands gripping the straps of his backpack tight as if he were afraid of being mugged. South Park was quiet early in the morning as the sun began to finally rise from beyond the mountains to shine the light of a new day onto the small town where the definition of town had changed over the course of the years and became more like a small city.  
          Where the sun hadn’t yet reached, it colored the morning sky a variety of shades ranging from blue all the way to pink and if he stopped to look, he’d notice its newborn beauty. He snorted at the thought, pushing it away as he looks around at the worn buildings that had been called the ‘ghetto’ for as long as he could remember but since he was young, he had called it home and learned to appreciate it.  
          “Good mornin’, Kenny.” A hairstylist greeted, her dark but graying hair pulled back into a tight bun atop her head as she unlocked the door to the only Clip ‘N Cut in the whole county, already wearing her apron with a cup of Tweek Bros coffee in her free hand.  
          Kenny waved and offered a smile underneath the fabric that covered his mouth and nose from the cold wind. “Morning.” He replied but the worlds came out as muffled and barely audible and the woman laughed, the sound amusing her before she smiled at him and entered the shop, closing the door tight behind her.  
          He enjoyed walking through his own neighborhood despite its stereotypical status, criminal record, and common thugs that robbed stores and stole children throughout the night; it was where a kid like him belonged. He crosses the tracks and approaches the neighboring side of town by taking the last step across the road; it was like a breath of fresh air--coming out of the ghetto-- and it was always a good sign. He smiled again under the fabric of his worn out orange parka, the expression shining in his icy blue eyes, the thought childishly amusing to his ten-year-old mind. 

          The sight of Kyle and Stan waiting in front of the bus stop was relaxing and the thought of missing the bus was put at ease. Right on time, two minutes are Kenny had arrived, Cartman walked up to the stop, his hat put on sloppily over his brunette hair that peeked out in certain places. “Jew, Fag, Poor Boy.” He greeted with a grunt and Kyle rolled his eyes so hard, Kenny thought that they’d rip out of his skull and, like always, Stan ignored it as the blonde stayed quiet.  
          “God, you look like a mess, fatass.” Stan points out, finally casting an uninterested look at the bigger boy.  
          Kyle began to snicker quietly, “Yeah, did you _just_ roll out of bed?” He asks in amusement and the quiet blonde couldn’t help but laugh at the snide comment.  
          “Shut the hell up.” Cartman commands and instantaneously, Kenny goes silent and Kyle laughs louder; rebelling, unlike the orange-clad boy but the brunette continues on. “I _did_ just get out of bed, thank you very much, and I didn’t ask for your fucking opinion, Jew, did I?”  
          Kyle scoffs, a grin playing on his lips, “No, but the look on your face is fucking priceless, Jesus, dude, you look like a zombie.”  
          It was Cartman’s turn to roll his eyes and, as he takes a few threatening steps forwards and Kyle flinches back, Stan steps between them with a glower, “No fighting.” He states simply and the ginger crosses his arms over his chest with a smug smile directed at the bigger boy.  
          “What makes you think I’m gonna do what you say?” The brunette challenges with a frown.  
          “Because the bus is coming soon and the bitch won’t let us get on it you two are throwing punches at each other.” Stan retorts and the blonde nods.  
          “I’m not walking to school again, it’s cold as fuck.” Kenny adds and Cartman groans in stubborn agreement. 

          The bus was crowded, just like it had been since the bus driver had agreed to take a new route throughout the renovated town, and it was hard to find any open seats but at the back, there were designated places open for the four right across the aisle from each other. They were saved by one of the nicest kids in school, Leopold ‘Butters’ Stotch, who was looking out the window at the sky. Kenny stepped over backpacks and outstretched feet with practiced ease while his best friend plowed through them without much thought.  
          “H-hey, fellas!” Butters greeted, a stutter in his words and a bright smile on his face. Cartman grunts in response, motioning for the innocent blonde out of the reserved seats, and reluctantly, the boy moved and walked farther to the back of the bus to sit next to a kid that Kenny hadn’t seen before.  
“Si’ down!” The poor boy flinched at the sudden booming voice as Kyle scrambled to sit next to Stan who had gladly taken the open seat across the aisle to sit by the window by throwing his bag to the floor. Kyle glanced over at Kenny who laughed quietly under the chatter of the other South Park Elementary students that ranged from kindergartners to rowdy eighth graders.  
          The large yellow vehicle shifted into drive with a loud groan that was barely audible over the kids throwing airplanes and shouting over others. It was a mess and the blonde felt bad for whoever had to clean the bus after the kids were done using it but the pity didn’t last long as Cartman began to snore softly beside him.  
Kenny looked out the window, not focusing on his sleeping friend who sat beside it and ignored the chatter to view South Park from a lost tourist’s perspective and imagined that he had taken the wrong turn off the highway and ended up in a ‘small’ mountain ‘town’ with the worst reputation in all of Colorado; but at least the neighborhoods were nice despite the people who lived in them. The McCormick laughed at the thought and, beside him, Cartman stirred.  
          “Hey Ken.” Kyle’s voice cuts in and the blonde looks over but doesn’t respond only for the other to continue talking, “You should switch spots with me.”  
          Kenny raises a brow, hesitant, “Why?” He asks, his voice muffled. Kyle shifts in his seat before a grin appears on his face and he pulls out a black Sharpie from his back pocket making the orange-clad boy roll his eyes. Stan glances over from his conversation with one of his football goons in curiosity but remains quiet.  
          “No.” Kyle’s grin disappears at Kenny’s answer.  
          “Why not?” He whines, looking past the blonde to glance at Cartman.  
          “Stan said, ‘no fighting’, remember?” And you doing that will only cause problems, so no.” The blonde replies, playing by the rules set by Kyle’s own best friend.  
          The ginger sunk back into his seat as Stan flashed a quick smile to Kenny who returned the gesture gesture with a hidden grin that showed in his icy eyes. “Thanks a lot, Stan.” Kyle grumbles and the quarterback chuckles underneath his breath as the Jew pushes him to the side with a slow and the bus comes to a brief stop before it starts again; a stop sign.  
          Cartman jolts awake, his eyes flying open, and grips Kenny’s arm as if he were trying to reassure himself that the blonde was still there. The McCormick flinches at the sudden hold but doesn’t question it, pretending not to notice it, when the brunette releases his grip and straightens out. Kenny looks over at Kyle and Stan who were talking animatedly before he shifts his gaze back over to his best friend. “Are you okay?” He asks quietly but the bigger boy throws a mean look his way before he glances out the window. His eyes were red, dangerous, as he glared anywhere but as Kenny, purposely avoiding his curious gaze. The bus came to a stop and the doors opened, allowing the sitting kids to stand and flood out onto school grounds.

          “What’s wrong with him?” Stan asks quietly as Cartman pushes past his group of friends as soon as they get off the bus.  
          Kenny shrugged but before he could speak, Kyle did with a snort, “He probably has another stick up his ass about having to come to school.” Kenny shrugged but remained quiet as he watched Cartman continue ahead, not bothered by the commentary that followed him.  
          “Something on your mind?” Kyle asks quietly, trying to hide his concern and failing.  
          Kenny hesitated for a second, thinking about the way Cartman’s eyes had become pools of crimson whenever he had looked at him but ultimately shook his head a few seconds later. “Nah,” He lied, “Just wondering what Garrison has planned for us today.” Kyle nods with a sincere smile before he walked ahead to catch up to Stan who was already approaching the doors of the school.  
          South Park Elementary looked more like a Juvenile Detention Center than a school with its faded yellow paint that matched the irritating shade of the bus.  
The wind was cold as it nipped at the tip of Kenny’s nose through the fabric of his coat. At least it wasn’t snowing yet and that was the only upside of the day so far. Kenny gripped the straps of his backpack tighter and entered what could’ve been called ‘Hell’ and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

          The McCormick took his seat near the back of the class and threw his bag to the floor, just like Stan had on the bus. Bebe approached his desk shyly, her curly blonde hair hiding her face away from sight, clearly nervous about something. Kenny tried not to pay attention to her sudden act of anxious boldness and unzipped his coat to reveal a plain white t-shirt and shaggy blonde hair; the classroom was too hot to wear a jacket and the fact displeased him.  
          “Kenny?” Bebe asks quietly and Kenny flinches in surprise, not expecting the girl to have gotten so close. Her cheeks were red in embarrassment, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She apologizes. Kenny raises a brow as the girl drops a note onto his desk and quickly walks away to sit by Wendy and Red who greeted her happily. The blonde blinks a few times before he picks up the paper: it had a heart on the front and the boy reluctantly unfolded it. In Bebe’s neat handwriting was: ‘Do you want to go out with me?’ followed by the two options of a basic ‘yes’ and ‘no’ question beside boxes pleading to be checked.  
          Kenny rolled his eyes before he pulled a pencil from one of the side pockets of his backpack to draw his own box and option before checking it. ‘Maybe’. He stands up and walks slowly over to Bebe and her group of friends with an easy smile but doesn’t speak as he drops it on her desk. Wendy and Red squeal in unison as the boy walks away.  
          “He said maybe!” The statement was an a excited whisper that was loud enough for the whole class to hear. Kenny grinned to himself and Cartman glances at him with a skeptical look.  
          ‘She asked me out.’ The blonde mouths to him and the bigger boy tries to hide a laugh behind a cough because everyone knew that Kenny McCormick didn’t date.  
          “Alright class, take your seats.” Mr. Garrison announced as he walked to the front of the board and began to write in yellow colored chalk, his back facing the students who scrambled to find their seats. The fourth-grade teacher turned around just as Kenny slid into his seat but he didn’t seem to notice as he began talking, “Today, we’ll be beginning a new unit on our math.” He spoke slowly as the blonde crossed his arms over the desk and laid his head down on them. “And as you can see on the board,” The balding man continues, “We’ll be learning about ‘Basic Division’ and how it’s going to be used in your day-to-day life as adults.” He says, trying to put enthusiasm into his voice but Kenny was out before he could begin to explain.

 _“Come child.” A deep voice beckoned._  
           _Kenny was in the depths of the forest outside of town as figures enclosed around him, trapping him within their circle of covered faces and dark cloaks_ _“Kenny McCormick,” The voice continued as the figures stopped walking and began to murmur in distorted voices in a language that the boy couldn’t understand. “You have been chosen by the Great Lord.” A cold shiver ran up the boy’s spine as his stomach twisted and clenched in despair. He cowered back as the cloaks parted and hands began to reach out to him with clawed pale fingers._ _“Cthulhu has gifted you in the womb and has decided that it is time.”_  
_Kenny backed up, hitting into another person, and whirled around only to face a man. He stood in front of him and suddenly the others were gone, his eyes were greedy and the expression matched as a grin spread across his thin and chapped lips to reveal sharp teeth in the form of a taunting smile._  
           _“Time for what?” The boy asks, his voice shaking.  
_            _“Sacrifice.” The man lunged forward, his clawed fingers slashing through the boy’s clothing and digging into his shoulders. The pain was excruciating as it shot down his arms like an electric current and blood began to pour from the wound, staining his jacket; a scream of pure agony left his lips._

          Kenny awoke to Kyle shaking his shoulder. The blonde looked the other way, exhausted, and buried his face in his arms, “Ten more minutes.” He grumbled. He could hear Cartman laughing quietly in the background and he slumped farther back in his seat in a more comfortable position.  
          “Told you that he wouldn’t get up.” Stan snorted but the shaking persisted. Kenny lifted his head up with a glower, not in the mood to be bothered. “Wait, never mind, there he is."  
          “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” Cartman greeted with a pay on the blonde’s shoulder.  
          Kenny groans and pushes him away and shoves his arms into his jacket before he pulls it on, not caring to put on the hood or zip it up. “Fuck off.” He mutters and the others only laugh. The blonde grabs his backpack off the floor with a scowl and continues out the door before his friends could catch up.  
          He followed the crowd to the cafeteria and stood by the door, lagging behind only so Stan, Kyle, and Cartman could catch up. Bebe approached him, her brown eyes sparkling, “So?” She asks, more confident than she was in class. “Have you made up your mind yet?” She continues, grabbing Kenny’s hand with a gleeful smile.  
          He frowns, not in the mood for this either, “Not yet.” He says despite the agitated tone in his voice. Bebe nods sadly before dropping the boy’s hand and walking solemnly back to her friends.  
          “So, you and Bebe, huh?” Cartman asks with a grin, throwing his arm around Kenny’s shoulders. The blonde groans and zips up his jacket, glaring in annoyance as the line moves forward by two steps, “C’mon, Ken, I know you like her.” The McCormick rolls his eyes at this.  
          “I don’t date.” He points out in a weak attempt to defend himself though it falls flat and he’s suddenly very aware that Stan and Kyle were behind him; they stood side by side, waiting for their moment to strike.  
          Kenny had spoken too soon. “Sure, sure,” Stan’s voice says mockingly and the blonde turns to face him with a sneer. “Tammy Warner never happened.” Kenny’s expression twisted up in disgust but the quarterback continued talking, “Besides, Bebe’s a nice girl, give her a chance.”  
          Cartman snorted, defending the blonde, “If she’s so nice, then why aren’t you dating her smartass?” His grip around Kenny’s shoulder tightened by the slightest as Stan falls silent and a grin spreads across the McCormick’s face. The bigger boy shakes Kenny’s shoulder with his freehand with a laugh, “Kenny doesn’t like her, let it go man.”  
          “Thanks.” The shorter mumbles.  
          Cartman scoffs, removing his arms from around the other to cross them over his chest, “Don’t mention it, Stan deserves all the shit he gets anyways.”

          Pathetic, that’s what he was. Kenny dumped his tray as soon as he got it, no longer hungry for whatever was served, and went the the table that the fourth grade boys sat at. He didn’t date, what part of that didn’t Bebe get?”  
          “Hey Kenny.” Butters greets happily. Craig looked over with an amused look, along with his group of friends that consisted of Clyde, Token. Tweek, and Jimmy. Kenny shot a glare at the leader who averted his gaze to converse quietly with his friends as the other blonde tensed awkwardly. “So, wh-where’s Eric?” Before the orange-clad boy could respond, a tray is set beside him and Cartman announces his arrival with his usual greeting, “Hey, assholes.”  
          Stan and Kyle sat down across the table by Token and Clyde and turned to look at the quiet blonde boy, “So, Wendy and Red cornered us after you left.” Kyle began with a roll of his eyes, “She wants to know why you haven’t given a reply to Bebe yet.”  
          “Turns out you hurt her feelings.” Stan adds. Craig stops talking then, suddenly interested in the conversation that three boys were having, “Red said you made her cry or some bullshit like that.” The noirette concludes with an annoyed tone to his voice.  
          “I don’t date.” Kenny says quickly, running his fingers through his hair.  
          Craig scoffs, finally joining in on the conversation, “Yeah, sure you don’t.” He says in his surprisingly annoying monotone voice.  
          “Shut the hell up, man,” Cartman cuts in. “This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”  
          “Yeah, this is about Kenny.” Kyle says quickly and Token laughs.  
          "Then why are you idiots involved? If he didn’t want to date her, he could grow a pair and just say ‘no’.” The richer boy points out and a collective mumble of agreement comes from the whole table.  
          Kenny sighs and puts his head onto the table and wills himself to fall asleep in avoidance of having to hear the arguments. Cartman fired back an accusing statement to Token and the blonde was out in seconds. 

          The boy awoke to the first bell ringing and the clamor of the other kids in the lunchroom getting ready to leave. “Ken, come on, we’re gonna be late.” Stan urges and the blonde forces himself to his feet to go back to class. “You’ve been sleeping a lot, what’s up?” The noirette asks quietly and Kenny shakes his head in his own silent refusal to answer the question and the other sighs, “You don’t gotta go this again, you push us all away like we’re toxic or something, I mean: Kenny, we’ve been friends since kindergarten, you can trust us.”  
          “If you say so.” Kenny grumbles and Stan drops the topic before walking ahead of him to the classroom.  
          He got there in time for the final bell to ring.  
          Another three hours was going to last a lot longer than he thought they would and just like he had earlier that day, he put his head down and went to sleep: 

 _The lights flickered overhead before they went out. Kenny lifted his head to find that the classroom was empty of students. What the hell? He asked himself, finding that he couldn’t speak aloud. A scream tore through the silence, shattering it into a million pieces and he finally heard it, the roar of a monster hunting and the loud thuds that shook the school in its wake._  
           _“Kenny!” A voice shouted and Kyle stood at the classroom door, his clothes town and his hat missing to reveal his curly ginger hair. “You have to get out of here.” his voice was shaky as blood began to run from his hairline down his face but before the Broflovski could explain, kids rushed down the hall and swept him away,_  
           _“Kyle!” Stan shouted, running after the crowd, not stopping to look into the classroom like the other had. “Where are you?” He shouts._  
           _“Kenny--? Shit dude, did it get him?” Cartman’s voice asks as another scream erupts from the hallway. The thuds grew closer, shaking the desk and the things hanging on the wall. “Kenny!”_  
           _“Go! Go!” Bebe shrieked before she ran past the door._  
           _The sound of the fire-alarm going off sent chills down the blonde’s spine and he jumped to his feet. What was going on? He couldn‘t breathe as the screams soon died off and it was silent. His heart was racing in his chest as he ran from the eerie atmosphere and out the door.  
          _ _“Kenny.” A voice whispered as he caught sight of the dead bodies of his friends laying in the hallways. “Come to me.” It beckoned and Kenny flinched, tears spilling over his cheeks. Who did this? “Do not be afraid child, our savior won’t hurt you.” It promised as cloaked figures turned the corners of each of the hallway and with every flicker of the lights, they floated closer in their ghastly advance._  

          Kenny woke as a hand slammed down in front of his desk. He was sweating and couldn’t help but look anxiously around until his eyes landed on Mr. Garrison, “Kenny, if you’re going to sleep in class, at least do your homework when you get home.” The classroom was empty apart from his friends who lingered by the door. “Tomorrow is Friday, can’t you last the rest of the week?” The blonde couldn’t respond and the teacher sighed, “At least try, okay? I’d love to sleep too but I can’t.” Kenny nodded weakly before grabbed his bag and threw up his hood over his messy hair.  
          “Whoa, Kenny, are you alright?” Kyle asks, immediately taking notice to the sweat beading on the blonde’s hairline. Cartman was the first to leave the room followed by Stan but the ginger lingered back in his worry.  
          Kenny approached with a groan, running his fingers through his hair in frustration but ultimately, nods, “Yeah, I’m good.”

          The bus ride was quiet as Kenny looked out the window, the kids not as hyper as they were this morning to be throwing things around and shouting over each other. The bus stopped to let the kids off, the doors opened and about ten kids got off, talking quietly and joking around before they left and the bus closed its doors and continued on until it came to its last stop at the next block.  
          Kenny grabbed his bag and stood up as soon as Cartman got off the bus and made his way towards the doors, Bebe waved at him and he tried to muster a smile but couldn’t get the image of her screaming in terror from his most recent nightmare out of his head. He got off the bus and the doors closed behind him before he began walking towards the tracks in his determination to get home and to sleep; he was exhausted and the nightmares weren’t helping.  
          “Hey! Kenny!” Sneakers slapped the sidewalk’s concrete as they chased after him. The blonde came to a stop but didn’t turn to look at his pursuer. “Do you wanna come over later and play video games?”  
          Kyle, only Kyle would offer him that. A small smile pulled Kenny’s lips upward and he let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, I need to go home first and drop off my bag.” He says quietly.  
          “Me and Stan are gonna get it set up, fatass is gonna be there too, so you can take all the time you want.” Kyle offers and the blonde nods with a brief glance back at his friend.  
          “I’ll be there but I gotta get home early, my parents don’t like it when I’m out too late.” He says mockingly and Kyle snorts.  
          “Right, right.” They both knew that Carol and Stuart McCormick could care less where their son was but Kyle’s mom didn’t like it when the boy stayed over too late and ended up spending the night.  
          “See you then,” Kenny grins and continued walking down the sidewalk and over the tracks. He didn’t take the time to look around like he had in the morning due to the grey-scale that the ghetto had as the day began to end, especially in the chilling weather. He wondered if it was going to rain or snow tonight but the thought didn’t last long before he reached the front door to his house.

          “Stuart, he’s ten years old!” Kenny’s mother says loudly, her voice shaking as if she were about to cry.  
          “We made an agreement.” His father argued, his voice booming through the house’s thin walls.  
          They were in the kitchen and out of sight as Kenny moved to the left and closed the front door quietly behind him. The boy wondered when they’d started to fight and why as he walked silently to his bedroom before he opened the door and closed it.  
          “Kenny?” Karen’s voice asks from the darkness of his room. The blonde flicks the light on, illuminating the bedroom he shared with his sister a soft yellow hue. She was sitting on the old mattress they shared-- it lacked a frame and stood on a spring box, but a bed nonetheless-- and was huddled up in the thick quilt that Kenny had bought long ago. The older McCormick sibling smiled softly before he moved around to sit next to her, ignoring the tally marks that covered his faded green walls.  
          “What’s wrong?” He asks while Karen moves closer.  
          “I’m scared.” The girl whispers and Kenny wraps his arms around her, holding her tight.  
          “I won’t let them hurt you.” He murmurs and the younger nods, tears spilling down her cheeks. It wasn’t fair, that they grew up this way, but life was like that and Kenny hated it.  
          “I know.” She sobbed, curling into him as glass shattered and his parents began shouting beyond comprehension; Kenny wondered if they’d ever stop.

          “Hey, K.” He mumbles and his sister looks up, her eyes bloodshot. “How ‘bout you go to Tricia’s tonight? I’ll come pick you up in the morning and we can walk to school together.” He promises and the girl nods, a faint smile appearing on her face, “You can take your stuff to her house and wait there for me.”  
          “Alright,” Karen murmurs and pulls away, wiping at her eyes and sniffling. “Thank you.” She adds quietly and Kenny raises a brow, standing up.  
          “For what?” He asks, confused, but the girl only laughs with a shake of her head.  
          “For being the best big brother someone could ask for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing anymore.


	2. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The McCormick residence was eerily quiet as the blonde walked in, opening the door slowly only to find all the lights off. He stopped and listened, waiting for his father's snores to sound, but couldn't hear anything. He took a hesitant step inside, "Hello?"

          Kenny had escaped his house through the window after helping his sister as it was her first time sneaking away from the hellhole the two were forced to call home. Karen clung to Kenny's side, holding his arm with both hands in a fear that the blonde understood; she was afraid of being left behind. The two walked slowly through the ghetto, Kenny leading the way, to observe the real reason why it was the wrong side of the tracks:  
          A gas station, not too far from the McCormick residence, was being robbed. The sound of the alarm going off from inside of the store was loud compared to the cool evening silence and it was accompanied by the screaming of police sirens as cop cars whirred past the siblings; it wasn't anything new. Karen moved closer to her brother, welding herself into his side, in fear. Gunshots sounded from the distance before they echoed off of the tall, empty buildings and Kenny's stomach clenched involuntarily at a memory he didn't want to think about.  
          Karen gripped the sleeve she clung to tighter--her fear multiplying-- as the slapping of sneakers began to approach quickly from behind them. Kenny looked back to find a man running after the two, an unmarked bag in one hand and a gun in the other. Wetting his lips, he glanced back at his sister who returned the gaze with a knowing look before she nodded and detached herself from her brother's side and ran towards the tracks. The blonde didn't turn back but instead kept walking at a leisurely pace, not caring about the danger that was closing in on him.  
          The man ran past him but not before throwing a roll of money onto the cement before disappearing into an alleyway. Confused, the blonde picks it up only to find a note stating that the man owed his family money signed with the name 'Lee' at the bottom.  
          Kenny hid the cash in his jacket pocket as a cop car rushed past him, sirens wailing and lights blinding.  
          Karen was waiting on the other side of the tracks, he cheeks red along with the tip of her nose. She had taken her hair out to shield her ears from the icy wind and let her short brown locks fall just below her ears. The hood of the sweater she wore underneath her faded green jacket was pulled up and the fabric stuck around her features as a smile spread across her lips, relieved.  
          "You're okay." She breathed, her breath turning to steam in the cold air.  
          "What kinda brother would I be if I wasn't?" The older asks, teasing.  
          "A bad one." Karen sticks out her tongue despite the winter chill. Kenny grinned and grabbed his sister's hand before he pulled her along, humming quietly.  
          "But I'd never leave you here." The blonde murmurs, squeezing the girl's hand, "Not with Stuart and mom."  
          The girl sighs before she smiles, the expression soft but her eyes were glassy. "You promise?" She asks.  
          "I promise."

          "Why are you here?" Tricia Tucker asks, glaring up at Kenny, her tone cold despite her young age. Kenny guessed that the hatred for the older McCormick sibling ran in the family by blood and snorted quietly but tried to hide it with a fake cough.  
          "He walked me, Trish." Karen cuts in before the strawberry blonde could say anything.  
          Her face softens, "Oh." Tricia smiles at the sight of the younger McCormick.  
          "My parents are fighting again." The brunette explains solemnly.  
          "I'm sorry, Kare." The girl frowns but glances up at Kenny again, "Should I get my brother?" She asks, not pleased by the fact that the blonde was still there.  
          "Nah, it's fine." The older smiles. "K," He begins, squeezing his sister's hand, "I'll be back tomorrow, just like I promised."  
          Karen nods, slowly taking her hand out of her brother's, hesitating, "I love you Ken." She murmurs.  
          "I love you too, K."

          "Kenny, fuck, finally." The sky was turning shades of pink and purple by the time that the blonde had arrived at Kyle's house. The Jew opened the door wide enough for the boy to enter his house and kick off his boots at the mat beside the door. "We've been waiting for you for like half an hour." The ginger explains as he closes the door and returns to the living room to sit on the couch beside Stan.  
          "The longest 30 minutes of my life, McCormick." Cartman says nonchalantly, digging into a large bag of Cheesy Poofs.  
          Stan scoffs, "Fatass arrived five minutes ago, ignore him. The bigger boy frowns and pulls out a poof and chucks it at the noirette's face and the quarterback exclaims in annoyance, "What the fuck, man?" He asks, wiping the cheese bits off his face with a huff. Cartman snickers quietly before he goes back to eating and Kyle gives a sheepish but apologetic smile to the blonde.  
          Kenny grins, amused, and goes to sit beside Cartman on the floor, "Five minutes ago, huh?" He asks and the brunette scowls causing the boy to smile widely, showing off his partially crooked teeth.   
          "Shut up or I'll dump this whole bag on your head."  
          "Do it." Kenny encourages with a taunting tone to his voice.  
          Cartman pauses, contemplating before shaking his head, "No," He begins, "Because it's not worth it."  
          "Ouch, that hurt, Eric." Kenny was just pushing buttons now and just like the other had promised, Cheesy Poofs are poured over him like it was raining Diabetes. Kenny laughs louder and Kyle groans along with Stan.  
          "I'm not cleaning that up." Kyle says quickly.  
          "Me neither." The football player adds.  
          Kenny gets up and moves away, taking off his jacket, "Wasn't my fault, poopsie-kins has a short temper."  
          "Aye!" Cartman bellows and the blonde freezes, "Don't fucking call me that."  
          The McCormick risks a look back at his best friend and like he had seen on the bus, his eyes were a dark shade of crimson.

          "Kyle, it's time for bed and for your little friends to go home." Sheila Broflovski says, entering the room, her ginger hair pulled up into a tight bun a top her head and she was wearing a pink nightgown. "It's a school night, you wouldn't want to be tired when you get up, Bubby." Cartman snorts, amused by the name but doesn't do anything but laugh, and Kyle groans. Kenny pulls up his hood and reluctantly stands up from sitting on the floor, his legs tingling from being asleep.  
          "Stan, hey, Stan." The ginger boy shakes his best friend by the shoulder and the quarterback gets up with an incoherent mumble. "Stan, get the fuck up, you have to go home, it's late."  
          Cartman was pulling on his jacket by the time the blonde had stumbled his way towards the door, jacket already zipped up and hands covered with his old brown colored gloves. "Shit, my legs hurt." The boy complains to his friend with a crooked smile.  
          The brunette rolls his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, too bad you have to walk all the way home, huh?"  
          "Or," The poor boy begins to suggest, "You could have your mom drive me there."  
          The other snorts and pushes Kenny away playfully who wobbles on his numb limbs for a short second, "Like she'll want to take our car into your shit side of the town where the car'll probably get stolen while we're in the middle of driving."  
          Kenny frowns but nods, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Nah, no one would wanna steal that piece of junk--" He interrupts himself with a laugh as Cartman puts the boy into a headlock. "Com'on, you know it's true, your car fuckin' sucks, dude."  
          Cartman pretends to contemplate as the blonde twists out of his hold and stands up with a wide grin, "No, man, your car sucks."  
          The two exit Kyle's house together, closing the door tightly behind them. They walk down the driveway in silence and as they turn to part ways, they wave without speaking, knowing that they'd see each other the day after.

          The McCormick residence was eerily quiet as the blonde walked in, opening the door slowly only to find all the lights off. He stopped and listened, waiting for his father's snores to sound, but couldn't hear anything. He took a hesitant step inside, "Hello?"  
          Silence was the only answer he received but as he walked farther into his house, a rag is held to his nose and as he breathes in and struggles, everything blurs together like some kind of twisted dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jfc, I'm a mess rn, I just want to play Sims4 and continue on with my life.


	3. Occult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenny's eyes were rolled to the back of his head as a silent scream left his lips, his back arching off the alter in an inhumane way as he lay strapped to the stone until he was suddenly still and he fell limp against the alter.

          He couldn't feel anything but the icy needles that stabbed mercilessly into his skin, electrifying his body with its cold currents as wind whipped at his face, everything hurt and he didn't like it at all. Kenny McCormick slowly opened his eyes only to find a soft yellow light that provided heat just beside him that barely illuminated the figures around him. His gaze flickered away from the cloaked people, his sense of hearing finally beginning to zero in on the murmurs, and he looked up at the cloudy sky, and the way the rain drizzled from them. Was he dreaming again? He tried to move only to have his wrists and ankles snap back onto the stone he was laid out on. His shirt was soaked through by the rain and his limbs were bound to the alter. His eyes widened and he realized that he wasn't dreaming at all. He couldn't speak as a muffled yell left his body and the murmuring came to an abrupt halt.  
          "You have awakened, child." He knew this voice. Frantically, Kenny looked around and his gaze landed on an approaching figure that had separated itself from the circle of cloaked figures; the circle closed behind him. "This is good news," He paused and gestured around to the circle who had quietly began to murmur again. "We have been waiting for you to regain consciousness." The rain pattered quietly against the hood of the man's dark cloak. "You are very important to us, Kenny McCormick."  
          'How do you know m-my name?" The blonde interrupts, his voice quick as he stumbled over his words.  
          "Our great lord has told us." The boy didn't like the use of the plural noun.  
          "Us?" Kenny asks quietly.  
          An ugly smile peeks from underneath the shadow beneath the hood the man was wearing. "Yes, us." He clarified despite the answer being vague; it gave the McCormick an uneasy feeling and made his stomach clench unwillingly. The man backed away, his invisible eyes scrutinizing the boy's expression, seemingly please with it and only furthering his anxiety.  
          "Why am I here?" He asks, his voice shaky but harsh nonetheless.  
          "Your gift, child, has brought you here to us, do not be afraid." The man outstretched a hand, "Join us and thank our lord for giving you such a wonderful blessing." Kenny struggles to sit up and the man clicks his tongue with a solemn expression on his shadowed face, "I would have thought that you would be willing."  
          "Where is my family? Where is my sister?" Questions spew out of the blonde's mouth but they are left to hang in the dense atmosphere unanswered.  
          "They are safe," The voices murmured at the same time as the man sunk back into the circle, "Unless you refuse to join us." The sound sent chills down Kenny's spine as he struggled, unwilling to give himself to an occult so easily. "Do not worry child, we will set you free." They promise and he screams, ripping from his throat like knives as he shrieks, trying desperately to gain some control and get some help.  
          This had to be a dream, it had to.

 _"Kenny." The wind whispered as the rain began to whip across his skin._ _He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe as the rain began to drown him, his voice no longer audible and suddenly, everything was quiet._ _"Kenny." A little girl called after a giggle sounded out. "Come play." There she stood, short blonde hair tied in twin-tails with pink bows, her eyes were a piercing shade of green and she was dirtied with blood splattering on her white nightgown towards her feet. She was wearing a choker that resembled a rope as she gave a smile and another giggle. Above her head, there was a noose with a teddy bear torn to tatters and Kenny wondered how it still hung by its ripped neck. "We're not like those people you're playing with now, come play with us instead, we're a lot more fun."_

          A vision, maybe that's what it was. Kenny's eyes were rolled to the back of his head as a silent scream left his lips, his back arching off the alter in an inhumane way as he lay strapped to the stone until he was suddenly still and he fell limp against the alter.

 _"They want to hurt you, Kenny." The girl whispered, taking small steps towards the boy. She reached out a hand and the memory of the occultist flashed in his eyes and he shook his head, still unable to speak. The blonde girl frowned, upset, "He said you'd be much more entertaining than the last one," She explained, mostly talking to herself as her eyes began to become pools of ink. "Why aren't you any fun?" Her voice became a distorted mixture of murmuring voices._  
_"Why aren't you any fun?!" She shrieked and the boy was pulled back into reality._

           "He's alive." The voices were no longer speaking in matched tones but instead spoke separately as a wave of surprised statements spread throughout the circle, "He really does have a gift."  
          The McCormick opened his eyes, they burned and his whole body ached. He looked around, his vision blurry, and caught sight of the approaching figures with their clawed fingers and their greedy smiles. He struggled and finally, the restraints gave out as hands reached out to grab him. "Don't fucking touch me!" He says, teeth chattering, his hair sticking to his forehead. His clothes were soaked as he fell into the muddy earth, the coldness sending shudders up his spine.  
          His bare feet dug into the mud as he ran, breath leaving him in quick pants as he dashed through the thick trees towards an unknown destination as he fled from the Cthulhu worshiping people. He kept running even if he had doubted the possibility of the others following him and chasing him down.  
          A clearing farther into the trees sent his heart flying. He only ran faster and as he burst out of the trees, the ground fell from underneath him and he was falling. He couldn't breath as the wind whipped his cheeks as it flew past him; he hit the water with a splash that was barely audible over the rain.

_It was cold. So cold. Kenny opened his eyes and he was underwater, the water was thick and he couldn't think. Slowly, bodies began to rise from the depths of the waters with ropes tied around their necks along with ripped teddy bears. The little girl he had seen earlier was frozen in her demise but she opened her eyes and smiled. Kenny jumped back, his last breath of air leaving his lips, he tried to swim up to the top but to no avail, the girl floated closer. "Wake up." She whispered._

          He sat up in his bed, sweat beading at his hairline, breathing quickly. A dream, it was only a dream. He glanced down, checking his body but to his dismay, faint scars where the restraints had been remained on his wrists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for the next two chapters? Because I am.


	4. Determined

          "Kyle." Kenny greeted, grabbing his friend by the arm as soon as they walked towards the yellow school building of South Park Elementary.  
          "Ow, shit, Kenny, chill out." The ginger pulls his arm back with a frown but stops in his tracks, concerned for the McCormick, "What is it?" He asks, his worry showing in his tone but he doesn't seem to notice.  
          "I have something I need to tell you." Cartman had joined in on the conversation at that point followed by Stan.  
          Kyle rolled his eyes, already guessing that the blonde was going to tell him about some girl he had managed to pick up the day before but his expression turned grim at the boy's next words:

         "Last night, I was gonna be some kinda sacrifice for an occult, I was strapped to an alter and the people were wearing cloaks and were fuckin' _chanting_."  
         Cartman snorted, patting Kenny on the back two times in a friendly manner but his words were anything besides that, "Kenny, dude, you can't just spew bullshit and expect us to believe you."  
         "Yeah." Stan agreed, concern written all over his frost-bitten features.  
         Kyle casts a glance at his friends before hesitantly replying to the boy, "Maybe you should lay off the drugs for a while."  
         The blonde's expression fell and his blue eyes clouded over into a storm of unreadable emotions; he should've known that they wouldn't believe him. "Yeah," He mutters, shoving past the three he hung out with on a daily basis, "You guys are right." He wanted to tell them that they were wrong but after Kyle's disbelief in him, his lips were glued shut by some kind of lip-superglue. Kenny rolled his eyes before he continued on, gripping the straps of his backpack with a force he didn't know he had in him.  
         He walked towards the school-- the word walk meaning trudge-- and dragged his feet along the way. The look on his face must've told people to stay away because even Bebe hadn't wanted to approach him and ask her mindless questions and instead hung back behind him, waiting for her moment to strike like she was stalking the prey that was Kenny McCormick.

         He couldn't get the little girl's voice out of his head and it took all his attention to try and harshly shove the girl's words out of his thought process but she always came back with her little giggle and her malicious smile that matched the cultist's. The boy shuddered involuntarily at the memory and was pulled out of his daze by Mr. Garrison's piercing gaze. "What?" He asks finally and the girls in the classroom giggled at him.  
         "What is eighteen divided by six, Kenny?" The man asks, his voice losing it's patience with every word and the blonde glanced around the classroom to see Kyle subtly giving him the answers by holding three fingers up.  
         The boy bites his lip before turning his attention back to his teacher, looking confused, "Three?" He answers, the statement more of a question than anything but Mr. Garrison gives an approving smile though it dwindled as he looked back at the other students.  
         "Now, children, if you want to daze off in my classroom and refuse to pay attention, you will get  _de_ tention, is that understood?" The announcement was clearly a warning for the blonde boy but he didn't pay any attention to it, wondering about why Kyle had given him the answer.  
         "Yes, Mr. Garrison." The whole class except the distracted boy replies tiredly.

         Lunch wasn't any different, the boys sat at the table but this time, Bebe kept her distance, keeping her puppy-dog eyes looking glassy as if she were about to cry from rejection. Kenny heaved a sigh as soon as he sat down at the table: so far, this was a shitty day.  
         "Hey, Kenny." Craig greeted with his monotone voice but before the blonde could reply, he continued talking, "Bebe looks really upset, if you said no, I'm gonna kick your ass." The orange-clad boy blinked, surprised, in response to this before he pulled off his hood, once more revealing his unkempt mess of hair.  
         "I didn't say no, smartass." He grumbled with a glare, picking at the food on his tray. The girl's voice and smile remained at the back of his mind no matter how many times he struggled against it; she was getting stronger as every second slowly began to tick by.  
         "Then why does she look so  _upset_?" The noirette asks and Kenny shook his head, trying to ignore the piercing sapphire gaze directed at him.  
         "I didn't say no." The McCormick says again but this time, he continues on, "I just didn't give her an answer yet."

         "Guys, did Kenny tell you about his little experience last night?" Cartman asks, announcing his presence as he sits down, a wide grin on his face. "'Cause he told us and we think it's a bunch of horseshit." The blonde boy shoots his best friend an icy glare but the other just laughs him of, still not convinced that the McCormick's experience had in fact happened. "He said he got caught up in some kind of cult meeting and was fucking sacrificed."  
         "I didn't say shit about being sacrificed." Kenny cuts in before he brushes his hair back from his eyes, blue eyes still set into dangerous glares.  
         "But the way you're acting says you were sacrificed, shit, Kenny, I didn't even know that people would want anyone for a cult-- especially  _you_." Clyde snorts.  
         "Shut the hell up, Crybaby." Kyle says sharply and the whole table goes quiet, not expecting the ginger to say anything.  
         An ugly smirk appears on Cartman's face, "What's that, Kyle? You believe him?"  
         Kenny's eyes widen and light up for a split second but the Jew's next response causes him to look away, regretting the small amount of hope that had swelled inside his chest, "I didn't say that fatass, I'm just saying, it's not really nice to fuck with Kenny. He thinks it happened and he's really messed up about it so cut him some slack, he's freaked out."  
         "Yeah, guys." Stan agrees with a monotone voice.  
         Craig rolls his eyes, "Damn, guess you guys are all crazy."

         Kenny had stood up from his seat, leaving his tray behind. The blonde shoved his hands into his pockets with a glower, storming down the hallways back to the classroom to pout. Kyle didn't believe him like he had thought he would and it stung, like salt in the wound. He sighs, watching his feet as he walks but he looks up and around as the sound of footsteps follow after him.  
         The school hallways were completely empty, the white paint on the walls were peeling and an stomach twisting shade of yellow. The air became cold, suffocating, as steam left the McCormick's lips. He turned, looking behind him with milky white eyes and there she was, the little girl. She was sniffling, blood leaking from her right nostril and her dress was stained with dark shades of red indicating blood by the metal scent that radiated off of her. "Why did you leave me like that?" She asks, her voice shaky with sobs. She looks at him, her eyes completely black but the bruises and cuts on her face were no different than his used to be when he was younger; she was hurt.  
         "They hurt me, Kenny." She continues on, wiping at the blood that leaked from the abyss' that stood in place of her eyes, smearing the crimson liquid across her bruised and beaten features, "I tried to protect you but they were too strong." She whispered and suddenly everything was silent, "They want to kill you."

         "Kenny?" Kyle asked, shaking the blonde's shoulder. "Dude, are you okay?"  
         His eyes came back from looking beyond, the milky white fading away and returning back to a vibrant blue. "Wh--" He mumbles before he recognizes the ginger who stood in front of him. He shakes his head with a sheepish smile, "Yeah, I'm alright, just--." He looked past the other and she was gone, "Really confused." He says.  
         "Why?" Kyle asks, concern clear in his tone.  
         "I dunno, it doesn't matter, what do you want?" The sour attitude was quick to return as he looked at his friend.  
         "I just-- don't be an idiot, dude." Kyle began, his emerald gaze hard. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to prove or what you're planning but you just can't go and fight a battle we all know you can't win."  
         "What?" Kenny asks, the confusion only getting stronger.  
         The ginger hesitated before he heaved a sigh, "What I'm saying is," He spat out the words like acid on his tongue; afraid of them, "i believe you." He muttered finally, barely audible to anyone other than Kenny.  
         "Oh, haha, funny, kyle." Kenny rolled his eyes and Kyle took a sharp intake of breath, "After what you said in the cafeteria, sure, I believe you when you say that."  
         "I'm being serious, Kenny!" Kyle says, his voice getting louder.  
         "Sure you are, 'cause I'm just a dumb kid from 'cross the traintracks. Fuck you. I'll do whatever I want, it's my life."

         "You're gonna get yourself killed!" Kyle had shouted at him and Kenny had shrugged.  
         "If I get killed, then I get killed, s'not like it hasn't happened before."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's kinda funny that I got writer's block even if the plotline is already written out for me beforehand.


End file.
